Wounded warriors to enjoy weekend getaway in Kingston area

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- There's no disputing that people who go off to war are changed by the experience. And for those who are wounded in battle, the effects can be profound and the recovery can be long and sometimes lonely.

On Friday, a group of wounded veterans and their families will step off an Amtrak train in the Northern Dutchess hamlet of Rhinecliff for a weekend of fun and relaxation in the Hudson Valley through the "Warrior Weekend" program.

The 12 veterans who signed up for the "Weekend at the Hudson Valley" excursion are coming from Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, a military hospital in Virginia, where they are recovering from injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan, said organizer Vincent Auletta.

Advertisement

"They're undergoing rehab there, so they're stuck in what basically looks like college dorms," Auletta said. "They're landlocked 24 hours a day, sitting in a dorm-style room, and they don't go anyplace. So we get them out of their beds for the weekend."

Plans for the weekend include dinner at Mariner's Harbor in Kingston on Friday night and an event-filled day on Saturday that can include a pumpkin shoot at Gill's Farm in Hurley, lunch at the Hoffman House in Kingston or "whatever they want to do," Auletta said. "We'll do whatever they want. We'll take them whereever they want to go."

On Sunday, the wounded warriors and their families will be treated to a breakfast American Legion Post 150 in Kingston before they are brought back to the Amtrak station for their return trip.

Post 150 and the Kingston Veterans of Foreign Wars post are co-sponsors of this weekend's local events.

The wounded warriors and their families are to pull into the Rhinecliff train station at 4 p.m. Friday and will be met with a champagne reception. They then will be taken by limousine from to the Quality Inn on state Route 28 in the town of Ulster.

Auletta said the veterans will get a hero's escort from the train station that will include a number of motorcycle groups, including the Warrior Watch Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, Rolling Thunder, The Leathernecks, Woodstock HOG and the American Legion Riders. "Last time, we had over 106 motorcycles. This year, if the weather's good, we should have 200-300," he said.

The escort also will include area police and fire departments and civic and community groups, Auletta said.

The veterans and their escorts will take state Route 199 to U.S. Route 209 to Sawkill Road to Washington Avenue, then go around the Thruway Exit 19 roundabout to Route 28 and the hotel entrance.

At the Quality Inn, participants will be treated to a buffet dinner and will participate in a "meet and greet" with the public.

Auletta said anyone interested in honoring the wounded veterans can line up along Sawkill Road and Washington Avenue as the vehicles pass by. Flags will be handed out to people who don't bring their own, he said.

"Two years ago when we did this, over 2,000 people (from the community showed up)," Auletta said. "This has gotten so big. It's turned out way better than I expected."

The "Warrior Weekend Program" website says that, since the program began in 2007, there have been 36 weekend trips in which more than 415 people have participated.